The Aftermath
by nikki-of-stormhold
Summary: The Aftermath of Skye being shot - there is more to Quinn than any of them thought. Skye/Quinn
1. Chapter 1

The Aftermath

Coulson slammed the file down on the table, a single piece of paper clipped to the front of it wafting slightly as he did so. May had never seen him as angry as he was- practically quivering as he glared at Quinn.

"You tell me this isn't true!" he yelled, causing Quinn to flinch. "Tell me!"

Quinn said nothing, staring down at the file. He was, in a way, glad that they had found out. It wasn't that he couldn't take people thinking him to be the bad guy- to many he was the ultimate enemy, and it hadn't ever bothered him. It was more that he wasn't sure how to proceed. He hadn't been sure whether to keep up the act, or just stay silent, but he knew he couldn't tell the truth. Not until he had permission. Now the decision had been taken out of his hands.

"I can't," he said, his voice a little croaky due to the fact that he hadn't spoken for a few hours. "It's true."

Coulson bowed his head, his jaw tight, and leaned on the table. He felt sick. This meant that he had no-one to blame. Except himself.

"Explain," he snapped, sitting down opposite Quinn at the stainless steel table. "Now."

Quinn looked at him, and when he spoke his voice was still husky.

"I'm sure they already did," he said quietly.

"I want to hear it from you." Coulson pushed the file forward, the cover note bearing the official symbol of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Fury's signature at the bottom.

Quinn sighed, clearing his throat. He didn't want to explain, he just wanted to know if she was alright. He'd thought about asking several times, but he hadn't felt he had the right.

"I had to," he started.

"See, that's the part I'm struggling with," Coulson half shouted, folding his arms so that Quinn wouldn't see his hands shaking. He didn't want to hear Quinn justify what he'd done- it was made worse only by the fact that it appeared to be true.

"Naturally, agent Coulson- I can see how this would be hard to understand, especially for someone who cares..."

"WE ALL CARE," Coulson shouted. "Now why don't you tell my team why you put two bullets in our friend?"

Quinn sighed. He wasn't going to get away with asking them to just read the report Fury had sent.

"Director Fury approached me a few months ago and asked me for my help. I've been... playing... the Clairvoyant, working to establish an alliance. No-one has ever gotten close to shutting this down by being the Clairvoyant's enemy, so Fury thought it was worth a shot by... being allied. I agreed."

"And why on earth would you do that? You don't care about anyone but yourself."

Quinn shrugged.

"Survival of the fittest, in the beginning. Fury made me an offer I couldn't refuse- and before you ask, Agent Coulson, I'm not going to disclose the nature of it. That's down to your director."

Coulson couldn't believe what he was hearing. Fury had played him too. He'd never even mentioned an alliance with Quinn, even when he'd asked for permission to shoot his private plane out of the sky. It just didn't make sense.

"Go on," he said.

Quinn swallowed.

"Skye should never have made it to the mansion. She wasn't supposed to be there. Once I realized that the Clairvoyant knew that she was, I had to make a choice."

"So you chose to kill her. Fury give you permission to do that, did he?"

Quinn stared at him.

"Think about it Coulson." He was beginning to lose his patience. "Think about the alternative to what I did. If I had let her go, the Clairvoyant would have known about it straight away. I would have been dead, but what do you think would have happened to her? You think she'd have made it out? It would have been way worse for her if they'd caught her and you know it."

"Don't you dare try to play the hero, you shot her to save your own skin." Coulson stood up abruptly, his chair flying out behind him and crashing to the floor. Quinn stood up too, facing Coulson.

"I shot her because I knew it was her best chance! Once I found her there I knew you'd be right behind! If I'd left her for them to deal with they would have finished the job, and you know it!"

They were both yelling, both angry. Both desperately trying to justify things and relieve some of the guilt they were plagued by.

"How could you be sure we were coming?" Coulson asked, his voice suddenly soft. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep it all inside.

Quinn looked down.

"I couldn't," he replied. "But you have an annoying habit of turning up right on cue. I tried to buy her time. I... I shot her so that she'd... have some time..."

It had never crossed Coulson's mind that Quinn might actually feel things. He had never been anything other than an enemy to cross off a list, a rich man with a heart of stone and no moral code to govern him. He almost seemed to be... mournful... of his actions. The man wasn't an idiot. He was pretty sure that if he'd meant to kill Skye outright, Quinn would have been able to. Especially at close range with Skye having no way to defend herself. Perhaps there was some truth in Quinn's story. And then there was the fact that Fury had verified it.

Coulson sat down slowly, glaring at Quinn.

"It had to be convincing, Coulson... If they had suspected- if the Clairvoyant had suspected even for a second, that I was trying to help Sky to survive, we'd have both been dead, and there would have been a much bigger mess to clear up."

He'd told Skye when he'd laid her down, that he had his orders too. He had meant that. The Clairvoyant had ordered him to kill Skye, without hesitation. She wasn't a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, but she was dangerous. The Clairvoyant had refused to tell him why, but Skye couldn't be allowed to live.

Fury on the other hand, had ordered him to protect her, whatever it took.

There was something about Skye that was secret, and he didn't know if Coulson knew, but how could he tell him when he didn't know what it was?

He sat down too, swallowing as he looked at the blood spatter on his hands.

"Did she make it?" he asked, trying not to think about it being her blood.

Coulson sighed. It was all so much to take in.

"We don't know." He wasn't sure how much to say. He'd spoken to Fury after he'd received the faxed letter, wanting to make sure that it was genuine- even though it had passed all the high tech tests that Fitzsimmons used to identify genuine S.H.I.E.L.D. correspondence- encoders, decoders etc. Fury had told him not to treat Quinn as a prisoner. This he had ignored for now, keeping it from the rest of the team.

"She's... she's in the hyperbaric chamber that we found in the room where you... Simmons isn't sure she'll make it. It's very serious."

Quinn nodded. He'd tried to hit her where it wouldn't do too much damage, but he'd had no way of knowing how far away Coulson's team were. He'd anticipated massive blood loss, but it had been her best chance...

"So I'm guessing that Fury's told you not to keep me prisoner," he said, anticipating Coulson's reaction.

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The room was hot- Italy, in fact, was hot- and wearing a suit didn't help. He hadn't anticipated her showing up, and they'd been almost sure that none of Coulson's team had managed to track them to the mansion. He should have known that if any of them would have it would have been Skye. He'd met her before and despite her having totally played him, he'd liked her.

And here she was, standing in front of him giving him a terrible decision to make. Fury's words echoed in his ears, as did those of the Clairvoyant. She looked at him with wide eyes full of confusion and contempt, desperate to know what had happened to Mike Peterson. The gun had felt heavy in his hand- he'd tried so hard to pass the decision into someone else's lap, but Mike hadn't budged. Deep down it hadn't surprised him- the man was under duress, a hero trapped inside himself. Skye had helped him, and with no clear direction to do so by the Clairvoyant he'd never harm her. Once Mike had left the room, he'd had only seconds to decide what he was going to do. Sky turned to face him, her anger evident.

"What the hell did you do to him?" she'd demanded. The gun was cocked, and he raised his arm. She'd looked surprised, and it all seemed to run in slow motion. He'd made his choice. As soon as he'd pulled the trigger it was as if the bullet had ripped through him too. She'd done nothing wrong- she'd gotten caught up in a mass of evil that wasn't hers to deal with, and here he was having to put her in agony just to save her life. She hadn't fallen- she just stood, staring at him with a confused, surprised expression. She clutched her stomach, the blood starting to spread through her clothes. Seeing her sway, he couldn't let her fall. He ran forward, grabbed her as she collapsed and held her as he lowered her to the floor.

"Sshh," he'd whispered in her ear, thinking how absurd it was to try to reassure someone whilst supposedly killing them. Closing his eyes and wishing there was any other way, he pulled the trigger again, still holding her so that she didn't fall. She jolted, and gasped, holding onto him desperately, clutching at his jacket, the light in her eyes beginning to fade. She was silently begging him for help, and it was so much harder than he'd ever thought it could be to deny it.

He laid her down- on her back so as to cause the least amount of pain, and sat back to wipe the blood from his hands.

If she made it, how could he ever look her in the eye? It played over and over in his mind, in far too much detail. It had been the hardest thing he'd ever had to do, but if he'd had to make the decision again... he'd have done the same thing. The second she'd set foot in the mansion she'd had next to no chance of leaving it alive. She might be unconscious in a hyperbaric chamber, but she was alive, so he'd accomplished his goal.


	2. Chapter 2: Trust Issues

Trust Issues

"How's she doing?" Ward half wheezed as he skidded to a halt in front of Coulson, May and Fitzsimmons. He had left them to get help for Skye whilst he parked the car in the hospital basement. After Simmons had announced that Skye was barely alive and only had a few hours in the hyperbaric chamber before she'd be permanently brain damaged, they had abandoned all hope of reaching a secure S.H.I.E.L.D. medical facility and had landed at the nearest hospital.

"She's critical, but we already knew that." Coulson rubbed the back of his head, his face harrowed. "The doctors say she's lucky to have made it this far. She lost so much blood. They're giving her another transfusion, but they're refusing to comment on her chances."

"That can't be a good thing," Fitz said quietly. Behind them Ian Quinn sat in silence, handcuffed to an immovable hospital bench. He stared at his hands, still blood stained, un-moving. Coulson sat down heavily a few chairs away from him, Simmons almost falling backwards into one opposite. She looked exhausted, and terrified. It had been a tremendous pressure being the only one on the plane who could do anything to help Skye, and she had not liked having her friend's life in her hands. She was relieved, to say the least, that it was no longer her responsibility. Relief, however, was no match for the terror they all felt at the thought of losing Skye.

"Gemma, you did everything you could," Coulson said, leaning forward to take the young woman's hand. It was clear to them all how she had been feeling, but Coulson made it his business to watch his team and support them when they needed it.

"Whatever happens, we know that." She gave a weak smile in return, her face still stained from her earlier tears. Fitz sat down next to her and took her other hand, May and Ward hovering together in the doorway to the operating theatre. There was pain in the silence.

For a while, no-one said anything. It was night now, and they had landed somewhere in Europe- only May really knew where, as the others had all been preoccupied with getting Skye to the hospital upon landing. At the other end of the corridor, the double doors flapped open and a doctor strode quickly but casually towards them. His footsteps echoed around them, and he whistled a tune as he walked. Upon reaching the door which May and Ward stood in front of, he nodded.

"Excuse me, may I pass?"

Ward stood aside, as did May. She looked troubled as she did so, watching the man through narrowed eyes. Ian Quinn looked up for the first time since he had sat down, staring at the man. The doctor stared back at him, giving him a small nod. Quinn blinked, nodded back and said nothing. With that, the doctor disappeared through the door into the operating theatre.

"Agent Coulson, are you armed?" Quinn said so quietly that it was almost a whisper. Coulson turned to face him.

"Always."

"Good. The man that just entered the operating theatre is not a doctor, he is one of the men who works for Centipede. He was in Italy with us."

"I knew I'd seen him before," May said, drawing a gun. Ward did the same, peering through the window of the theatre. Coulson shot to his feet, drawing his own gun and gesturing at Fitzsimmons to take cover. Quinn just sat in his seat, calm and cool. He knew he was safe- Centipede's men would not shoot him.

Coulson nodded at Ward, who counted to three silently and threw the theatre door open. The three of them burst into the room, their weapons drawn. The "doctor" looked up from where he stood over Skye, a hypodermic syringe in his hand. Around him were three doctors, all unconscious, two of them bleeding.

"Put it down," Coulson said, his voice firm. "You only get once chance."

"Sorry Agent Coulson, I can't do that." The man lowered the syringe towards Skye's arm, quicker than Coulson had expected. Before the imposter even knew what was happening three separate bullets had stopped him and he lay next to the injured doctors on the floor of the theatre.

"Check them," Coulson ordered, gesturing to the four unconscious persons as he stared at Skye.

"Agent Ward, check the corridor and have Fitz scan the hospital for more of our Italian friends. This guy didn't come alone."

Ward nodded, leaving the theatre abruptly to check the corridor.

"Simmons," Coulson yelled, and she ran into the theatre to join him and May.

"I need you to assess Skye. We need to move her but I don't know how far the doctors got before this guy interrupted them." She nodded, running to where Skye lay, motionless and ventilated.

Coulson stormed through the double doors back out into the corridor.

"Sir, we have at least five more of Centipede about to join us," Fitz said, staring at a little screen he held. "I'd say we have about five minutes before they're on us."

Coulson nodded.

"We have to move her, now." He looked at Quinn. "You," he said. Quinn looked at him blankly.

"Yes?" he said.

"How do they know where we are?"

"They've always known your movements, Agent Coulson. Someone within S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't as loyal as your band of merry men. They're fed information regularly."

Coulson slammed his fist against the door of the theatre.

"Dammit, that's all we need. We can't use the plane, whoever it is will be able to track it even if we go off the radar. This has to be in-house."

"Sir, Ward is right next to the ambulance bay. Maybe we can take one- there would be medical supplies on hand for Skye- Simmons could go with her and we could run the blue lights to get to somewhere safe.

"I'll act as a decoy- Ward can drive the car so they think we're going for the plane." May stood next to Coulson, not having had any luck with rousing the doctors.

Coulson nodded.

"Simmons?"

The red head appeared at the door, flustered.

"She's through her surgery sir, but she's still in a serious condition. I don't think she can breathe on her own.

Coulson nodded. At least she was alive.

"Radio Ward and tell him what the plan is. I'll drive the ambulance, Ward can drive the car with May."

He strode over to Quinn, opened the handcuffs and dragged the man to his feet, pinning him against the wall roughly.

"Quinn, I swear to God if you blow this for us I will kill you myself." He let go and Quinn half fell.

"Fitz," he commanded. "Check him for communications."

Going back into the operating room briefly, he reappeared with a hospital gown folded up in a sterile packet.

"Put this on," he said, handing it to May.

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"Where are we going?" Simmons asked, out of breath as she slammed into the side of the ambulance for the third time, Coulson swerving hard at a traffic light. The siren was loud, but it served its purpose and cleared a path for them. As far as he could tell they weren't being tailed, and it looked as if the decoy had worked. For now. They had managed to get Skye to the ambulance and Simmons was tending to her. May had acted as a convincing double, her build being similar, her hair being the same colour and the hospital gown and medical paraphernalia disguising her adequately. Ward had bundled an "unconscious" May into the back of the 4x4, the windows blacked out, Fitz in the passenger seat using an offline, civilian GPS system which he'd made some 'alterations' to whilst he directed both the decoy vehicle and the ambulance.

"I don't know, but Fitz says they're being tailed- looks like it's' worked," Coulson called back, trying to remember his advanced driving course from many moons ago. He'd always been very good at it, but Lola was entirely different to handle to an ambulance, and she was the only vehicle for him nowadays.

"It won't work for long," Quinn said from beside Simmons. He held the ventilator that was keeping Skye breathing, and was pumping it at regular intervals as Simmons instructed. He knew that the scientist felt very uncomfortable with him so he hadn't tried to make conversation, and kept his distance from her, focusing on squeezing the ventilator as she'd instructed.

"We'll need to get out of here before they realize they've been tricked and turn around."

"I see your logic isn't lacking," Coulson said, giving Quinn a contemptful glance in the mirror. "We're going this alone, so our options are limited."

"Mine aren't."

Simmons stopped what she was doing and stared at Quinn in disbelief.

"You don't seriously expect us to trust you, do you? After what you've done! This is all your fault!" her voice went high pitched and she grabbed the overhead shelf so as not to fall over as the ambulance swerved again.

"I told you, I had no real choice."

"And if we hadn't caught you would you have been so forthcoming with your help? You're unbelievable!"

"I might be, Dr. Simmons, but I'm also the best chance you have, and I'm the only chance she has." He gestured to Skye, still lying in her pale, unconscious state. He kept pumping the tube, his hand resting on her cheek to keep it in place.

Coulson glanced at him again in the mirror.

"She's right, how can you ever expect us to trust you with Skye's life when you almost ended it a few hours ago?"

Quinn turned briefly to look back at Coulson in the mirror.

"Your choice, Agent Coulson. Why don't you give Fury a call?"

"We don't know what comms the mole has taps on," Coulson said flippantly.

"Well you know my phone's safe."

Coulson remembered Quinn's cell phone in his jacket pocket- they had taken it when they'd detained him.

"There's a direct line to Fury, concealed two encryption levels down. I'm sure Gemma here could negotiate it."

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"Where are we going?" Fitz shouted over the roar of the jeep's engine. May was now properly dressed, crouched in the back loading their weapons. He sat in the passenger seat grasping his GPS firmly.

"Type in these co-ordinates," Ward said, handing the cell phone he had just been speaking on to the Scot. Fitz did so, and after the GPS had loaded them, he looked at Ward in confusion.

"But that's a Quinn Worldwide property," he said. "Albeit a less well known one. It's got an air field."

"Yep." Ward's face was set, his jaw practically ticking. He looked as if he wanted to smash everything in sight.

"What's going on?" May asked, climbing over the back seat as the car continued to career along at very high speed, the two black Range Rovers behind them keeping up.

"We're taking help from Quinn."

"WHAT?" Fitz dropped the GPS.

"Has Coulson lost his mind?"

"Direct order from Fury. Apparently Quinn is one of our most trustworthy, valuable assets."

"What a load of..." Fitz's voice was drowned out by the honking of several horns as Ward pulled an expert U-turn, leading them away from their tail.

"I thought Coulson said this was in-house," May said, checking for any followers.

"Yeah, well apparently Quinn's in our house now."

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	3. Chapter 3: Trick or Treat

Trick or Treat

It wasn't long before they reached the private industrial looking mini-estate that Quinn had been directing them to.

"Is there anywhere you don't own half of?" Simmons muttered, taking readings from the machines hooked up to Skye.

Quinn just chuckled quietly.

"You should be glad, Gemma. It's getting us all out of a big mess."

"Agent Simmons," she corrected him. "And yes, it is. You in particular."

With that she turned her back on him, reaching up to the shelf above them for a blanket.

"How's she doing?" Coulson had parked where Quinn had directed him to, and was now standing at the back of the vehicle with the double doors open.

"Better, actually. She seems to be improving. She's still not out of the woods, but I think they managed to repair any internal damage during the surgery. Her vitals are coming up by the hour and she seems to be fighting back." Simmons spread the blanket out and covered Skye with it, tucking it in around the edges.

"That's our Skye," Coulson smiled. Of course she wouldn't die on them. She couldn't. He wouldn't allow it.

Looking past Simmons, he glared at Quinn.

"What now?"

Quinn sighed, unbuckling his seat belt. Before he could say anything a black 4x4 came hurtling into view and screeched to a halt behind them. A furious looking Ward got out, closely followed by Fitz who almost fell out of the passenger side.

"Sir," Ward said, his voice urgent. "We weren't being followed by Centipede, it was S.H.I.E.L.D."

"What?" The older man looked at him, his face a mixture of confusion and unease.

"We got close enough to see the plates in detail sir," May said, joining them. "They were government issue."

Nobody said anything for a moment. Coulson turned slowly to look at Quinn, who smiled back at him.

"I don't understand," Simmons said, half stepping out of the ambulance.

"Why were S.H.I.E.L.D. after us? I thought it was Centipede..."

"It was Centipede at the hospital," Ward said, "But they were dispersed by S.H.I.E.L.D, who then came at us."

"But why are they chasing us?"

Coulson closed his eyes, coming to a moment of sickening realization. They knew. They were afraid of what could happen. Or intrigued by it. Knowing what he did about his own recent history with S.H.I.E.L.D Coulson secretly agreed with Ian Quinn on one thing- S.H.I.E.L.D weren't afraid who they trod on in order to advance and get answers. He turned away from the team, unsure of how much they should know. Quinn knew some of it, but he wasn't sure how much. Perhaps only the truth could help Skye now.

"Sir," May stepped forward. They all knew that he was holding back, and only she knew why. Sighing, he turned to face them. As if to confirm that he was doing the right thing, she nodded at him discreetly.

"There's something about Skye that you should all know," he began, looking at them all, deliberately excluding Quinn.

"I haven't told you before, partly because she asked me not to, and partly because it was so highly classified that even I had trouble finding out. I wouldn't tell you now if I didn't believe that it was relevant and vital to the fight we find ourselves in."

He sighed, wondering where to begin.

"Skye asked me to look into her background. She handed over a thumb drive to me which contained several documents that indicated that her family had had something to do with S.H.I.E.L.D. I agreed, and did some digging."

He paused, glancing at May. Best not to let on that she knew. It wouldn't do the team spirit any favours.

"What I found, I wasn't even sure I wanted to pass on to you, let alone her. Certain... events... changed that, and I thought she had a right to know."

Quinn sat stock still, staring at Coulson intently. Coulson hesitated. Could Skye hear him talking about her? Telling everyone her secret?

No, this was the right thing to do. They would work together as a much stronger team if they knew why they were having to. They deserved to be given a choice. The goal posts had moved- if they were effectively going to commit mutiny then they should get to decide whether or not they actually wanted to. His mind, however, was made up. Whatever S.H.I.E.L.D. were up to, he didn't like it. He'd been on the recieving end of their manipulation, and whilst being loyal to them, he couldn't watch Skye suffer as he had.

"There was a team, twenty three years ago, who were called to Hunan province, China to investigate an 0-8-4. When they got there, they didn't find an object."

Fitz sat down heavily next to Simmons. Coulson took a deep breath.

"They found a baby. A baby girl."

He paused. Fitz looked like his mind was racing- more so than usual.

"That's why she asked me..." he breathed. "On the train... whether 0-8-4s could be people..."

Simmons just looked plain shocked. May hadn't feigned surprise or anything like that, but in keeping with her character she just stood in silence, her hands clasped together behind her back. Ward shook his head in silent disbelief.

"Skye was the 0-8-4?" he half whispered.

"She was." Coulson looked at Quinn, who was staring at a still unconscious Skye, now breathing on her own. His expression was a mixture of sudden understanding, and something else. Something Coulson couldn't put his finger on. Whatever it was, it didn't give him a good feeling.

"The team of agents gave their lives- all but one of them- protecting her, running all over the world trying to keep her safe. Who from, we don't know, or why, but it was bad enough that it was hidden almost at the deepest level of security from us all. We... I only found out because of the final surviving agent who helped keep Skye safe made a mistake and appeared in a facebook photo."

May looked very uncomfortable- he had almost given away the fact that it had been her that had made the discovery.

"I tracked him down, and he told me all of this. He's still hiding today, and he's still scared. He and his partner dropped Skye off at the orphanage, leaving with her a protocol that detailed that she be moved every few months, for her own safety. Shortly after that, the other agent was killed, and it was messy. As far as we know she was never found by whoever was looking for her."

"And yet she still has to run." Quinn spoke for the first time, standing up slowly, his hands in his pockets.

"She's not running anywhere, is she? Look at her!" Fitz sounded about ready to punch him in the face. Quinn ignored him, staring instead at Coulson as he jumped down from the ambulance.

"It must be very disappointing for you, agent Coulson, that just like the other agents, you've failed to keep Skye safe. And what now? There's nowhere you can take her where they won't find you. YOU will lead them to her. And what about your team here? Are you going to ask them to commit mutiny?"

Coulson said nothing, his jaw set. Quinn was right. Everything he had just said was accurate. He couldn't ask this much of any of them, but if he didn't what on earth would become of Skye? He couldn't help her on his own.

"It's a good thing then, that I'm here." Quinn leaned against the side of the ambulance, smirking.

Acting out what the entire team was feeling, Ward snapped. He strode towards Quinn, grabbed the man by the scruff of his shirt and pinned him to the side of the ambulance. Quinn continued to smirk, looking past him at Coulson. Coulson swallowed. He had no choice.

"Ward. Let him go."

Ward did not turn, but looked at Quinn murderously, ignoring Coulson's command.

"Now."

A few seconds of silence passed, and the younger agent took a step back, releasing Quinn. Quinn rubbed himself down, adjusting his suit. He tutted patronisingly.

"Temper temper," he said, walking past Ward.

"Now, let's do business." He clasped his hands together, looking around at them all with a smile.

"We're standing in the middle of a property that is owned by me, and consequently is heavily protected. I'd say you have about ten minutes before S.H.I.E.L.D manage to find a way in, having tracked you, and during that small amount of time you have a big decision to make."

All five of them looked away, already knowing what he was going to say.

"So. What's it going to be boys and girls? Get caught harbouring a fugitive and hiding one of their little treasures from them?" he gestured at Skye. "Lose your jobs and end up in a nasty jail? Watch them take your little friend away to experiment on?"

"Or what?" Ward snapped, tired of Quinn's games.

"Or let me take her with me on a jet and be out of range within minutes. She survives, you all keep your jobs- say I and a team of my merry men came and stole away your precious 0-8-4 and there was nothing you could do about it- and everyone's a winner."

He smiled at them sickeningly.

"I could even throw in a free punch or two. You know. Add to the legitimacy."

Simmons buried her head in her hands, Fitz shaking his head and putting an arm around his friend. May looked at the ground, her arms folded. Ward slammed his fist into the side of the ambulance, tired of being helpless. Coulson just stood and stared and Skye, feeling sick to the pit of his stomach. Each and every one of them knew that Quinn was one hundred percent right.

"You know you don't have a choice, agent Coulson." Quinn stood with his hands in his pockets.

"Do you really want such loss on your hands?"

Ward turned to face Quinn.

"How do we know that you're not going to sell her off to the highest bidder as some scientific discovery?"

Quinn laughed.

"I have enough scientific discoveries under my belt to last me a lifetime, Agent Ward, and I certainly don't need the money. But you don't know, not for sure." His eyes seemed to twinkle, like a little boy playing a trick on his school peers.

A machine inside the ambulance beeped loudly, causing them all to jump. Simmons got up and jumped up see what it was.

"Sir," she said, panic in her voice. "Her heart rate is dropping. She needs..."

"I have a jet fuelled and waiting," Quinn said, his business face returning. "Complete with what Skye needs on board."

"How..." Simmons looked confused. They had taken his phone and all other forms of communication away when they had detained him.

"You think you're the only clever people in existence?" Quinn raised his eyebrows.

"Now agent Coulson," he said, seeing the other man's eyes close as sirens began to sound in the distance. S.H.I.E.L.D. were closing in. They were like rats in a trap.

"What'll it be?"

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End file.
